Picking Up the Pieces
by book.lover1123
Summary: *SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME* After realizing that the random guy in the funeral scene was Harley from Iron Man 3, I couldn't help but write this up. Just Harley remembering things that happened before, during and after Endgame. Rated K mainly because we are dealing with a character death here and the feels can be a little traumatic. Tissues available upon request.


**Author's note: Watched Avengers Endgame last week and I can't believe I didn't recognize Harley at the end. Way to throw the feels at us AGAIN! It was a really good choice though, because it showed who Tony was, not giving up on people he met and connected with. Cause Harley wouldn't have been invited to it if he wasn't still in Tony's life. **

**So this is my response to the heart wrenchingness that is Tony's funeral and Harley's part in it. Hope you all have tissues. Don't murder me in my sleep cause of the feels.**

I was 11 years old when I first met him. Nearly scared the crap out of me. I thought he was a raccoon that had gotten into the garage. But then there he was, Iron Man, Mr. Tony Stark in the flesh. It was all I could do to keep from geeking out. I figured he wouldn't be cool with a kid hanging around and asking him all these questions. He acted annoyed sometimes, but I could tell he didn't mind. He even tried to play down the fact that he was a billionaire and called himself Tony the Mechanic, just like he owned the auto shop in town or something.

Looking back, I realize that he was going through some major PTSD. How do I know that now? Cause I went through the same thing. You try having your mom get dusted right in front of you when you're barely 17. That and having to defend your own property from looters and scavengers. There were nights I couldn't sleep I was so scared. But Tony got me through.

About a year after The Snap, he showed up. I had hightailed it out of that sleepy town only a few months after everything happened. I'd headed towards the city where I could get work fixing cars or generators. He found me though. Offered to take me out to his cabin with his wife but I was an edgy eighteen year old and said no. He set me up in my own apartment, helped me get into one of the only colleges that was still running in town and made sure my tuition was paid for.

He'd call and check in once a month. Never pushed for details, and at first I hardly ever gave them. But as time went on, it felt nice having someone to talk to, like I had with my mom. He'd listen to my rants about professors and the lack of materials on campus. The next day I'd get a box of parts, expensive ones, and a paper that had a stupid meme about haters on it. I'd laugh and send him a text with a thank you.

I graduated three and a half years later. He brought his wife and his daughter with him to the ceremony. There were only about 20 of us graduating in the off season. I remember all my friends freaking out about the fact that he was there. He played it off again, making sure to turn the spotlight around on us when the dean asked him to say a few words.

"You know, one day, history is gonna look back and see all of you as the heroes. They're gonna call you the brave ones, picking up the pieces after the world going to crap. Moving on when so many things around you have changed. You're gonna do great things. Because that's who you are."

Five months after that, he stopped texting. I figured he had gotten busy with family stuff. But then a few days later, the day he was supposed to call, the day he always called, there was nothing. Maybe he just had lost track of time?

But then everyone came back. My neighbor had screamed and I went running. I saw their five year old daughter, whose picture they had memorialized on their wall, sitting on their couch looking as terrified as her family was. Shouts were going up all over the city. I could see people in the street getting out of their cars, hugging others. They were back. They were all back.

I made it to my old house within an hour. My mom was walking out of the house like she was just heading to work. I'm not gonna lie, I cried like a baby. I didn't think much about how it happened until we ended up at the diner and seeing the news.

I couldn't understand it at first. There was so much going on. The news cameras had gotten as close to the battle as they could, but it was still so far away. When the alien armies started vanishing, just like half the people on earth had, I realized that the avengers must have done what Thanos did to bring everyone back.

I dialed Tony. I don't know what I was hoping for. If he was still in the middle of all that, then he wouldn't pick up anyways. Friday answered. I asked if Mr. Stark was out there, had been fighting. She simply replied yes. I told her to have him call me back later.

I tried calling back the next day. Pepper picked up. She asked about my mom and I happily told her that she was back. I asked if I could tell Tony and there was silence on the other end.

"I'm sorry but… Tony- Tony's not here Harley."

Her intake of breath was all it took for me to realize that she didn't just mean there at the house.

I broke down on the phone. It wasn't fair to Pepper who had just lost her husband and her child's father. But I couldn't help it. He was the first man to even care about my life, about me. He had been there for the good times and the bad over the past five years, and had kept tabs on my for five years before that. He was the closest thing I had to a father.

After I had calmed down enough, she told me when the funeral would be. She told me there would be a big one, for the press, but that I was invited to the smaller family gathering. I protested, saying that I didn't want to take up their family time, but she replied through her tears.

"You are family Harley. Tony and I always considered you family."

I felt out of place there. I mean, all the Avengers were there, his wife, his daughter. I wasn't anyone special. But when Pepper hugged me, and Morgan wrapped her little arms around my knees, I knew it was ok. I followed them out to the shore and waited on the grass, watching her lay the wreath on the water. I was a wreck. I couldn't believe he was gone.

After the ceremony, Pepper had everyone gather and listen to the recording he left. He mentioned having left separate messages for Morgan and Pepper, but then spoke a few words to Happy, the Avengers, and then, surprisingly, me.

"Keep working on the mark 15 potato gun kid. It's gonna be big someday."

I don't think I would've held it together if it hadn't been for Pepper's hand reaching up behind her for mine. I didn't hear much of the rest of what was said, except for his last words directed to Morgan. Then the recording flickered out.

Pepper took the time to introduce me to everyone individually. I don't know why. When I met Peter Parker, I could tell he was like me. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. We talked about how we had both first met Tony. Showing up unexpectedly where he was most needed. That's who he is… who he was.

Peter told me about his "internship" he'd started five years ago, before the snap, how he wasn't sure if he could keep doing it if Tony was gone. I remembered what Tony had said during my graduation, and repeated it (with a couple revisions) for Peter.

"You know, one day, history is gonna look back and see you as the hero. They're gonna call you the brave one, picking up the pieces after missing out on five years here. Moving on when so many things around you have changed. You're gonna do great things Peter. Because that's who you are. Tony wouldn't have believed in you as much if you weren't."

I'm sure it'll take time for it not to sting as much. But for now, Pepper, Morgan and I still keep up the monthly conversations. I'm back at home, helping my mom get re-situated and working in the local auto shop. I still work in my garage, coming up with new gadgets that I can use around the house or sell online. The Mark 16 potato gun is fully underway. Hopefully it'll be finished by the time I meet up with Pepper and Morgan over the summer. I've got a job lined up at Stark Industries in the R & D department in the fall. It won't be easy moving on without him, but I think he's happy wherever he is, knowing that we're doing our best to pick up pieces and find new exciting ways to back together.


End file.
